DREAM DARE DO
SARAH CULLEN
Ex Agency Founder / Marketing Expert / NED / Entrepreneur in Residence / Independent Trustee / Mentor & Mum of 2 water sports crazy boys!
I wear many hats! When asked what I do, it can be difficult to condense my working life into one coherent and short paragraph, (and that’s on a good day!)! I literally hate those moments on a round table when you have to introduce yourself! My career is not linear with a few pivots, twists and turns along the way! Anyway, this website is my attempt to articulate just that!
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Firstly, a bit of background. I co-founded a Digital Marketing Agency, now exited, back in 2003. Having bootstrapped from a startup to a £multi-million turnover national agency with offices dotted around the UK, I subsequently sold the agency to a large media group.
That’s the short version! There are MANY stories, best shared over a glass of something cold! Ultimately, though, a crazy, fun, creative and utterly exhausting chapter of my life which I reflect on with huge gratitude.
SINCE EXITING
I focus my time in the following areas …
AGENCIES
I love working with Agency Founders who are on a similar journey to mine as a Consultant / Non Exec Director. I choose to work with those who fit culturally and who are invested in a long term partnership, as that’s where the magic happens right?!? I am lucky enough to have some awesome clients but I am always open to working with more.
Are you an Agency or looking for a Non Exec or Independent trustee?
Higher Education
STEM & ENTREPRENEURIALISM
Working in several advisory and mentorship roles within STEM, I support Founders by bringing innovation to life working on brand, audience engagement, proposition, commercialisation of research and pitch decks. I am lucky to work with Founders from all over the world. Roles include:
Long standing Entrepreneur in Residence at Future Worlds - the accelerator for highly scalable tech startups at the University of Southampton;
A mentor for the Imperial College London Global Challenge Lab and;
As part of the consulting team for Oxentia – Oxfords Global Innovation Consultancy
I am hugely driven to instil and support a culture of entrepreneurialism within universities and am privileged to work with individuals whose talent blows my mind and whose innovations tackle some the world’s most pressing challenges.
Privileged to work with individuals whose talent blows my mind
Impact Led Roles & Projects
PURPOSE DRIVEN
As a committed advocate for diversity, opening doors and breaking down barriers for the next generation of Founders, I focus any other time on impact led / purpose driven projects such as:
As an advisor / mentor for the awesome Virgin Startup Community,
As a long standing voluntary NED for Silicon South, a not for profit organisation that supports the digital, creative and tech ecosystem on the South Coast
As a Director of Growth Leaders - the peer to peer support network for digital, creative and tech companies.
Helping to organise the largest quarterly meet up for like minded folk in the digital, creative and tech community on the South Coast. It’s called SpeakEasy, it’s totally free, come along!
Committed to opening doors and breaking down barriers for the next generation
I give 15% of my time voluntarily for projects that support a healthy and diverse ecosystem of entrepreneurs. If you have a project, I will do my best to help.
If you can benefit from any of these experiences, then feel free to get in touch. I love to explore new opportunities and swap stories!
In my free time …
Otherwise, you’ll almost certainly find me hanging out at the beach or on the water with my crazy water sport loving family! (you can check out their website here:))